Apple on Monday released iOS 18, the latest version of its software for iPhones.
This is Apple’s biggest iPhone update of the year, but this rollout doesn’t include the company’s forthcoming AI system, Apple Intelligence, which is the focus of Apple’s new ads. Apple Intelligence will be released to the public in a beta version later this fall, and it will come as part of a separate software, Apple said.
The iOS 18 update will change the way the iPhone operating system looks and feels. One of the banner features this year is the ability to change the color of the home screen’s icons. In general, the iPhone’s new user interface will have a large number of customization options.
Separately, many of Apple’s apps have been redesigned or updated. In particular, Apple’s Messages app will gain the ability to send RCS messages, which turn SMS text messages — known to some iPhone users as green bubbles — into a more modern experience with better photo quality and typing indicators.
The update is available for all iPhones released in 2018 or later. You can download it inside Settings > General > Software Update.
Here are some of the big changes:
- Users can now move icons anywhere on the home screen — for example, it’s now possible to place our apps solely around the border of the screen, or add a single app to the middle of the screen.
- Users can change the look of app icons, either to dark mode or a preferred color.
- Apple has updated its Control Center menu with more pages of shortcuts and options.
- The Messages app can now bold or italicize text, and users can now react to messages using emojis instead of the previously available options, which included a question mark, exclamation point, heart and thumbs-up.
- Supported devices will be able to send texts through a satellite if there’s no Wi-Fi.
- The update includes a new Apple app called Passwords that can save and generate strong passwords.